The Starz original series Ash vs. Evil Dead may have gotten canceled in 2018 after three seasons, but the Evil Dead franchise isn’t done yet. Evil Dead premiered back in 1981, and after nearly 40 years, the property is still as popular as ever. In July 2019, Sam Raimi announced that he was exploring ideas for a new Evil Dead movie, which fans still don’t know a whole lot about.

With as popular as the Evil Dead franchise has become, fans have already started speculating on what the next film could include. Here are five things that could happen with Sam Raimi’s New Evil Dead Movie, and five things that won’t. 

Could Happen: Return to The Cabin

Many horror movies involve a spooky cabin in the middle of the woods, but Evil Dead is arguably the most successful film with the horror trope. The cabin has become an iconic location in the Evil Dead universe, so much so that Ash vs. Evil Dead returned there in season 1.

The reboot followed suit and had the characters stumble upon the Necronomicon while in a cabin that even has Ash’s Delta parked out front. It might seem a little old to have the characters be tormented by deadites in a cabin again, but having it take place before one of the other films could be a fun idea for a prequel.

Won’t Happen: Star Bruce Campbell

Ever since 1981, Bruce Campbell has been the actor known for slaying deadites in the Evil Dead franchise. He starred in the original three Evil Dead movies, Ash vs Evil Dead, and even made a cameo appearance after the credits of the Evil Dead reboot.

The character of Ash Williams is beloved by horror fans around the world, but Campbell officially retired the character after Ash vs. Evil Dead was canceled. While he won’t be starring in the next movie, Campbell has given his blessing for the franchise to move on without Ash. Campbell will act as a producer for the next Evil Dead.

Could Happen: Be A Continuation Of Ash Vs. Evil Dead

One thing that many fans would love to see is a continuation of Ash vs. Evil Dead. Fans were thrilled to have Bruce Campbell back in the role of Ash, and many people also got connected to his fellow Ghost Beaters: Kelly and Pablo. The series finale ended with Ash sending Kelly, Pablo, and his daughter Brandy to safety while he stayed behind to fight the giant deadite.

The futuristic storyline wouldn’t be adapted since Bruce Campbell isn’t starring in the next Evil Dead, but there’s no reason why Kelly, Pablo, and Brandy couldn’t be the main characters of their own movie.

Won’t Happen: Be A Sequel To The Reboot

As far as horror reboots and remakes go, the 2013 Evil Dead by director Fede Álvarez was pretty well-received. The film relied largely on practical effects and starred the talented Jane Levy as a recovering drug addict. Fans have been wanting a sequel since 2013, but the next Evil Dead won’t be it.

Álvarez has said that he would make Evil Dead 2if the story was right, but it hasn’t happened yet. Similarly, Sam Raimi has remained interested in the sequel. While talking about the upcoming film, Raimi said he would make Evil Dead 2 with Álvarez if he wrote and directed the film, indicating that Álvarez is not on board the film in development.

Could Happen: Tie The Franchise Together

Even though we’ve already established that the next Evil Dead movie will not be a sequel to Fede Álvarez’s reboot, the upcoming movie could still tie the franchise together. It’s still unknown if the reboot and the original movies take place in the same universe, but Ash’s Delta does appear in the film (although it is likely just an easter egg).

The new film could connect the two franchises in a number of ways, but one of the most interesting ways would be to make the film a side-quel. This year’s The Grudge ended up being a side-quel, but hopefully, an Evil Dead side-quel would be more successful. 

Won’t Happen: Be A Remake

While it hasn’t been confirmed that the next Evil Dead will be a sequel to the original films, Ash vs Evil Dead, or the reboot, it’s highly unlikely that Sam Raimi would remake his original film.

Raimi is smart enough to know that recasting Ash would cause severe fan backlash, and he probably doesn’t want someone else remaking his classic film. Granted, he produced the 2013 Evil Dead, but there were enough things different about the film to consider it a reboot over a remake.

Could Happen: Have Cameos

While Bruce Campbell won’t be the star of the next Evil Dead, it’s more than possible that he could cameo in the film. After all, Evil Dead movies are no stranger to fun hidden cameos. Sam Raimi has cameoed in all three films in his Evil Dead trilogy, and so has his brother Ted, who is most famous for playing the revolting deadite known as Henrietta.

Even the reboot couldn’t help but throw a cameo from Campbell in the credits. If the new Evil Dead ends up being more comedic, than Campbell might have a more obvious role, but if it is more serious like the reboot, then he would probably have a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo.

Won’t Happen: Have A Well-Known Director Attached

Chances are, the next Evil Dead will not have a well-known director. However, at this point, the upcoming movie does have a director. Bruce Campbell revealed that they “have a new filmmaker that Sam Raimi has hand-chosen.”

The word “new” could mean a couple different things: meaning that they chose someone newer than Álvarez, or that they have a relatively unknown director. Our bet is on the latter, especially since Evil Dead was Álvarez’s directorial debut on a full-length feature film.

Could Happen: Be Set In A Different Time Period

All of the Evil Dead movies have been set in modern times, except for Army of Darkness. While Army of Darkness is considered the weakest entry of the original trilogy, it was fresh to get a film set in a different time period. The next Evil Dead could do the same thing.

Having the film set in the ‘80s would be a cool idea given the fact that the first two movies came out that decade. A futuristic Evil Dead movie could also be an interesting idea given the fact that a futuristic setting has been teased twice, but never came to fruition.

Won’t Happen: Be The Abandoned Evil Dead 4

For fans that don’t know, the alternate ending to Army of Darkness reveals that Ash drank too much of the potion, causing him to wake up in a dystopian future. This teased a fourth Evil Dead movie by Sam Raimi. Universal made Raimi reshoot the ending, which is what made it into the theatrical cut.

The original ending can be found online or on many home releases of the film. In the end, a similar scenario was set up in the series finale of Ash vs. Evil Dead. However, since Bruce Campbell isn’t starring in the next Evil Dead, there’s no way for this storyline to happen.

Next: Evil Dead II: The Best Jumpscares, Ranked